Image sensing apparatus using optical coherence tomography and control method therefor

Abstract

Tomographic images of a plurality of planes at a disease site of a fundus are taken exactly within a short period of time, and the tomographic images are respectively displayed so that the positional relationship thereof becomes clear. A low coherent optical tomographic image sensing apparatus for imaging a fundus includes a sensing unit which takes tomographic images of a plurality of planes intersecting each other in time division, a display unit which displays the taken tomographic images at separate sites on the identical screen, and a position indication unit which displays, in each tomographic image, an intersection position of the tomographic image and another tomographic image intersecting one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for taking tomographic images of a subject's eye using optical coherence tomography, the apparatus comprising:
 an instruction unit configured to perform an operation of issuing a change instruction to change positions of a plurality of planes intersecting each other; 
 a unit configured to take tomographic images of regions of the subject's eye corresponding to the positions in time division; 
 a display unit which displays the tomographic images; and 
 a position indication unit which displays intersection positions of the plurality of planes intersecting each other on each displayed tomographic image or in a vicinity of each displayed tomographic image. 
 
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first position change operation unit which executes a position change of the intersection position on any one displayed tomographic image of the tomographic images of the plurality of planes; and 
 an image replacing unit which changes the one displayed tomographic image to a tomographic image corresponding to the intersection position based on the position change. 
 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a second position change operation unit which executes a position change of a focal position of an image sensing system at a time of the position change of the intersection position. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit configured to take tomographic images employs a transverse scanning system. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit configured to take tomographic images employs a Fourier-domain system. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit configured to take tomographic images switches between a transverse scanning system and a Fourier domain system in time division. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit configured to take tomographic images includes a TD-OCT, wherein at least one of the images is a C-scan image, wherein at least one of the images other than the C-scan image is a B-scan image which intersects the C-scan image, and wherein the C-scan image and the B-scan image are continuously taken. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus comprising:
 an image display controlling unit configured to control a display unit to display a first tomographic image of a subject's eye in a first area of a display screen and a second tomographic image of a plane intersecting a plane along the first tomographic image in a second area of the display screen; 
 a position display controlling unit configured to control the display unit to display information indicating a position where the plane along the first tomographic image and the plane along the second tomographic image intersect each other in each of the first area and the second area; 
 a position change instruction unit configured to perform an operation of issuing a change instruction to change the position indicated by the information displayed in the first area; and 
 a unit configured to take a new second tomographic image of a plane corresponding to the changed position by using a scanning unit that scans the light on the subject's eye, 
 wherein the image display controlling unit controls the display unit to display the new second tomographic image in the second area. 
 
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the image display controlling unit controls the display unit to display a third tomographic image of a plane intersecting the plane along the first tomographic image and the plane along the second tomographic image in a third area of the display screen,
 wherein the position display controlling unit is configured to control the display unit to display information indicating a position where the plane along the first tomographic image and the plane along the third tomographic image intersect each other in each of the first area and the third area, 
 wherein the position change instruction unit performs an operation of issuing a change instruction to change the position indicated by the information displayed in the third area, and 
 wherein the image display controlling unit controls the display unit to display a new first tomographic image of a plane corresponding to the changed position in the first area. 
 
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a position information change unit configured to change the information indicating the position intersecting the plane along the first tomographic image, which is displayed in the third area. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a position information change unit configured to change information indicating a position where the plane along the new second tomographic image and the plane along the first tomographic image intersect each other. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the unit takes the new second tomographic image by using the scanning unit after the position change instruction unit performs the operation of issuing the change instruction. 
     
     
       13. A control method for an apparatus for taking tomographic images of a subject's eye using optical coherence tomography, the control method comprising:
 performing an operation of issuing a change instruction to change positions of a plurality of planes intersecting each other; 
 taking tomographic images of regions of the subject's eye corresponding to the positions in time division; 
 displaying the tomographic images; and 
 displaying intersection positions of the plurality of planes intersecting each other on each displayed tomographic image or in a vicinity of each displayed tomographic image. 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium for storing a program causing a computer to execute the control method according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
       15. A control method according to  claim 13 , wherein the tomographic images are taken by a TD-OCT, wherein at least one of the images is a C-scan image, wherein at least one of the images other than the C-scan image is a B-scan image which intersects the C-scan image, and wherein the C-scan image and the B-scan image are continuously taken. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for taking images of a subject's eye based on return light from the subject's eye irradiated with light, the apparatus comprising:
 an instruction unit configured to perform an operation of issuing a change instruction to change positions of a plurality of planes intersecting each other; and 
 a unit configured to take images of regions of the subject's eye corresponding to the changed positions by using a scanning unit that scans the light on the subject's eye. 
 
     
     
       17. An apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising a display control unit configured to control a display unit to display the images taken continuously within a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the images comprise a tomographic image in an eye axis direction of the subject's eye and a tomographic image in a direction substantially perpendicular to the eye axis direction. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a first position change operation unit which executes a position change of a focal position based on the change instruction from the instruction unit; and 
 a second position change operation unit which executes a position change of a coherence gate based on the change instruction of the instruction unit. 
 
     
     
       20. An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the unit configured to take tomographic images includes a TD-OCT, wherein at least one of the images is a C-scan image, wherein at least one of the images other than the C-scan image is a B-scan image which intersects the C-scan image, and wherein the C-scan image and the B-scan image are continuously taken. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the unit takes the images of regions of the subject's eye corresponding to the changed positions by using the scanning unit after the instruction unit performs the operation of issuing the change instruction. 
     
     
       22. A method comprising:
 displaying a first tomographic image of a subject's eye in a first area of a display screen; 
 displaying a second tomographic image of a plane intersecting a plane along the first tomographic image in a second area of the display screen; 
 displaying information indicating a position where the plane along the first tomographic image and the plane along the second tomographic image intersect each other in each of the first area and the second area; 
 performing an operation of issuing a change instruction to change the position indicated by the information displayed in the first area; 
 taking a new second tomographic image of a plane corresponding to the changed position by using a scanning unit that scans the light on the subject's eye; and 
 displaying the new second tomographic image in the second area by using a scanning unit that scans the light on the subject's eye. 
 
     
     
       23. A non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium for storing a program causing a computer to execute the control method according to  claim 22 . 
     
     
       24. A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising (a) displaying a third tomographic image of a plane intersecting the plane along the first tomographic image and the plane along the second tomographic image in a third area of the display screen, (b) displaying information indicating a position where the plane along the first tomographic image and the plane along the third tomographic image intersect each other in each of the first area and the third area, wherein the performing step performs an operation of issuing a change instruction to change the position indicated by the information displayed in the third area, and (c) displaying a new first tomographic image of a plane corresponding to the changed position in the first area. 
     
     
       25. A method according to  claim 24 , further comprising changing information indicating the position intersecting the plane along the first tomographic image, which is displayed in the third area. 
     
     
       26. A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising changing information indicating a position where the plane along the new second tomographic image and the plane along the first tomographic image intersect each other. 
     
     
       27. A method according to  claim 22 , wherein the taking step takes the new second tomographic image by using the scanning unit after performing the operation of issuing the change instruction. 
     
     
       28. A method for taking images of a subject's eye based on return light from the subject's eye irradiated with light, the method comprising:
 performing an operation of issuing a change instruction to change positions of a plurality of planes intersecting each other; and 
 taking images of regions of the subject's eye corresponding to the changed positions by using a scanning unit that scans the light on the subject's eye. 
 
     
     
       29. A method according to  claim 28 , further comprising controlling a display unit to display the images taken continuously within a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
       30. A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the images comprise a tomographic image in an eye axis direction of the subject's eye and a tomographic image in a direction substantially perpendicular to the eye axis direction. 
     
     
       31. A method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 executing a position change of a focal position based on the change instruction; and 
 executing a position change of a coherence gate based on the change instruction. 
 
     
     
       32. A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the tomographic images are taken by a TD-OCT, wherein at least one of the images is a C-scan image, wherein at least one of the images other than the C-scan image is a B-scan image which intersects the C-scan image, and wherein the C-scan image and the B-scan image are continuously taken. 
     
     
       33. A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the taking step takes the images of regions of the subject's eye corresponding to the changed positions by using the scanning unit after performing the operation of issuing the change instruction.